1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a movable terminal, a coaxial connector, and a communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional mobile communication equipment such as portable telephones, there are apparatuses including a surface-mounting-type coaxial connector that performs the function of switching a signal path. The coaxial connector includes a resin case, a fixed terminal, and a movable elastic terminal, which are formed integrally therewith by insert molding. A movable terminal used in a conventional surface-mounting type coaxial connector may be a cantilever type and is frequently made from phosphor bronze.
In accordance with recent advances in miniaturization of the coaxial connector and reduction of the height and overall size thereof, miniaturizing of the movable terminal, however, is also required, so that the size of a movable spring portion and the thickness of the movable terminal have to be reduced. In a cantilever structure, however, in order to have a required contact-point pressure between the movable terminal and the fixed terminal, the thickness of the material must be comparatively large. Also, in the cantilever structure, in order to prevent connector deficiencies caused by plastic deformation of the lever, the entire length of the lever must be large. Therefore, the miniaturization of the movable terminal is prevented which therefore prevents miniaturization of the connector itself.
In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a movable terminal, a coaxial connector, and a communication apparatus that are significantly miniaturized and have a greatly reduced height and overall dimensions.
A movable terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a frame, a movable spring portion that is arranged such that both ends thereof are supported by the frame and a central portion thereof is movable and is elastic, a contact portion that is integral with the movable spring portion and which comes into contact with and connects to a fixed terminal, wherein at least the movable spring portion is made of SUS 301 stainless steel.
Preferably, on surfaces of the SUS 301 stainless steel, nickel plating films are preferably disposed and on surfaces of the nickel plating films, gold plating films are preferably disposed. In addition, it is preferable that the entire thickness of the SUS 301 stainless steel with the nickel plating films and the gold plating films disposed thereon ranges from about 45 xcexdm to about 62 xcexdm.
A coaxial connector according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an insulating case having a recess provided therein into which a central contact of another coaxial connector is inserted, a movable terminal according to the preferred embodiment described above which is arranged within the recess of the insulating case so as to protrude in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the inserting direction of the central contact of the other coaxial connector, a fixed terminal arranged within the recess of the insulating case so as to be brought into contact with and connected to the contact portion of the movable terminal, an external terminal attached to the outside of the insulating case and electrically connected to an external conductor of the other coaxial connector, and the contact portion of the movable terminal is movable from a position where the contact portion is separated from the fixed terminal to a position where the contact portion contacts the fixed terminal in accordance with attachment and detachment of the other coaxial connector.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above, the movable terminal includes a beam that is supported at both ends and has a spring force that is larger than that of a conventional movable terminal due to a movable spring portion of a beam structure supported at both ends and preferably made from SUS 301 stainless steel. Therefore, even when the movable terminal is reduced in size and in thickness of the material, secure and stable contact and connection can be obtained. Moreover, even when the thickness of the SUS 301 stainless steel varies, by plating the SUS 301 stainless steel with nickel having a Young""s modulus that is similar to that of the SUS 301 stainless steel, changes in the spring force due to errors in the thickness of the SUS 301 stainless steel of the movable spring portion are compensated for.
A communication apparatus according to another preferred embodiment including such a coaxial connector has a greatly reduced thickness and weight.